What Matters Most
by Mazmaraz
Summary: An unexpected crush brings certain...other matters to the forefront of Matts mind.


Title: What matters Most

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Summary: An unexpected crush brings certain...other matters to the forefront of Matts mind.

"TK." I didn't know how I was going to tell him this. Shit, the guy had liked her for just about forever and now...God, I hoped he didn't take it too badly.

He looked up from his plate of pasta and licked the sauce off the end of his chopsticks. "Yeah Yamato? What?" He grinned. "Come on. Tell your little brother. You've been looking weird all evening. Spill."

I looked down at my half eaten dinner.

Y'see, over the last couple of months my band had become really popular. So popular that our last three gigs at the Ederwin Theatre had sold out four weeks early and they were signing us on for another five. We had girls shoving presents, flowers, knickers and chocolates at us even when we weren't on stage and there was barely a week that went by that I didn't get a scrap of paper shoved under my nose and a pen slipped between my fingers from some fan making a request, rather forcefully, for an autograph. Most of my close friends didn't seem to be worried too much by this and even appeared to ignore it. But...

"You might want to watch out for Kari. I think she's a little star struck by the band." There. It's been said.

I glanced up at TK, hoping... Please don't be mad. It's not like it was really my fault. He couldn't really blame me. Could he?

I thought back to yesterday afternoon as I was walking out the door of Taichi's place. Her tiny fingers wrapping around my wrist and tugging me into the stairwell. A tiny package being pressed into my palm and wide brown eyes, so much like her brother's, smiling up at me.

I found myself held there for a second until she'd leaned in and tried...I don't know...but I'd stepped away quick smart. This was Kari. I couldn't. She shouldn't. What was wrong with her? She'd been practically married to TK since their second time in the Digiworld. Not that they'd been up to anything...I don't think. At least I really hoped not since she appeared for all the world to be making a move on me.

I'd told her no and mentioned TK. All she'd said was 'But I like you.'

TK frowned at me. "So, what your saying is..." He twirled his chopsticks, and I cursed silently as his gaze turned slightly icy. He wasn't ever going to take this conversation well and now he was just going to get pissed whatever way I said it.

I took a deep breath trying to think of a way to resolve this. "I think..."

"You think she likes you." I watched him calmly fish a piece of chicken out of his dish and munch on it looking every where but at me. His eyebrow twitched and the corner of his mouth turned up in a failed attempt at a smirk before he glared back down at his plate jabbing angrily at his food.

"TK." Dammit. He certainly had the right to be cross, but it wasn't exactly something I could do anything about and I definitely wasn't about to go and leave it for him to find out about later. He'd probably come tearing up to me one day and punch me in the jaw.

"You think," He looked up at me again, "That, just because your in some popular band every girl in the entire district is gonna be after you."

"TK." I sighed, "You know it's not like that." I hated it when he got like this. His damn temper. He never listens when he's angry.

He jabbed his chopsticks into his pasta, tilting his head to the side thoughtfully. "Well we all know June is."

I frowned. "Hey, don't..."

"She's more than obvious, but last week you were worried about Sora." He shoved his plate away. "The week before that you asked me how to turn down Katey."

"Katey was..."

"Now you're talking about Kari?" He leant forward over the table. "She's not like that."

I glared at him. I wanted to get angry. I thought he'd understood when I'd talked to him before. I didn't expect he'd be resentful or disbelieving when I said I didn't like the attention. Maybe I should've just gone with my instincts and talked to Taichi instead. It was just, I wanted so much to be close to TK. He was my little brother. Maybe it was just too much to hope for, thinking that we'd have some kind of instant connection just because we were siblings.

I watched him scowling at his water glass and tried to think of a way to resolve the matter.

"TK." I said softly, trying to get his attention.

He waved a hand at me dismissively. "You know Matt, if you wanted to try dating someone you could've at least chosen a girl that..."

"TK!"

He looked up at me mock curiously. "What?"

"Just listen."

"No thank you. You've deluded yourself..."

"I'm not delusional!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Then quit thinking everybody's about to jump you and stop lying about Kari."

I slammed my hands down on the table. "I'm not lying!"

He mirrored my action, splattering pasta sauce from his chopsticks across the table top. "She's not like that!"

I hate it how I get riled up so quickly, but seriously, way to make a guy cross. Why couldn't he just understand? He should know I would never, ever, try to take Kari away from him. As if I would ever want to hurt him like that.

We stood there for a few seconds glaring at each other angrily before TK pushed his chair out from the table and stood up. He gave a twisted little smile that threw me for a loop as he reached behind himself to lift his jacket off the back of the chair. He looked so... malevolent. "Maybe you should take your own advice in looking out for Yagami." He said humorlessly. I looked at him blankly as he shoved his hands down his sleeves and pulled his jacket on. The corner of his mouth twitched as he straightened his collar. "And no, I don't mean Kari." He smiled. "I think Taichi might be more than a little star struck himself."

I have to admit my stomach did some crazy stuff at that particular moment. A twinge of uncertainty tugged at my gut as I tried to figure out exactly what TK meant. He couldn't think that Taichi stayed friends with me just because I was part of some popular band. He'd have to be really dumb to think that. He'd have to be even dumber to think I'd believe him. Taichi and I knew each other back to front, there was no way I wouldn't have noticed if he was just sticking around for image.

I snorted at him. "Teeks, now that just makes you sound like an arse."

TK didn't answer, he just walked out the door to the lounge room.

"TK?" I got up and followed him. "TK, he doesn't need my friendship to boost his popularity. You can't say he's only around for that."

He gave a hollow little laugh as he swung back around to face me. "No." He shook his head. "He's around for a whole 'nother reason." He smirked at me suggestively then gave me a derisive appraisal. "Although, I guess it's plausible. I mean," he gestured to my appearance. "The crowds don't lie. You are one goddam sexy son of a bitch." He slung his bag onto his shoulder as he turned to walk up the hall. "I can understand a guy like Taichi failing to counter your obvious charm."

I looked at him incredulously. Where on earth did he get an idea like that? "You think he's gay?" I sputtered. What kind of idiot...?

He smiled over his shoulder, adjusting the shoulder strap of his backpack. "Yep."

I couldn't believe him. No way was TK that cruel. No way was he that stupid. "Taichi is not Gay." What kind of revenge tactic was this? He should know I bloody well wouldn't hurt him on purpose. How could he go and say that kind of thing?

I caught him by the arm as he started walking towards the front door and twisted him around so I could look him in the eyes. "Look TK." I said calmly. "I'm not lying about Kari." As if I ever would. Taichi would have my guts for one thing.

He paused for a couple of seconds, staring at my shirt, before he nodded stiffly. Finally it was sinking in.

"If you say so." He murmured softly, looking towards the door and nodding again. "If you say so, I believe you." I pulled him in for a quick hug. Why on earth did Kari have to go and do such a stupid thing? She had to know it was going to absolutely kill TK.

I ruffled his hair a bit and gave him a reassuring smile. "I bet she'll get over it pretty quick. A momentary lapse of reason. She'll barely even remember it after about a months time."

He smiled at me weakly. "Yeah. Probably." He turned back towards the door. "But Matt..." He scratched his chin nervously and his eyes flickered up to meet mine before falling back to the floor. "Ahh...you know, I wasn't supposed to tell you, but... I'm not lying about Taichi."

"TK." I said warningly.

"He really is gay." He whispered.

"He's not!" I shoved him away. "Who's spreading crap like that?" I'll kick their arse.

He cringed away from me and rubbed the wrist I'd been holding.

"Did you say it?"

"No!"

"Who did? He's not gay!"

He looked as if he was about to explain it then suddenly snorted instead. "Oh come on, Yama. It's not as if you'd mind anyway. You're all over each other. You've slept with the bloke."

"What!" I suddenly felt so winded I could barely get the word out. How could he even think...

TK rolled his eyes. "Not like that. Moron. In the same bloody bed. You're always trying to get close to him. Half the school thinks..."

I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed him up against the wall. "Neither Taichi, nor I, are fucking gay!"

"Well..." he struggled against me and I stepped away giving another small shove. He glared at me, straightened his shirt, sidled towards the door and gripped the doorhandle before turning to look me in the eye. "For someone who's so damn sure you're pretty damned defensive."

"TK! We're not..."

"You expect me to believe you, which I do by the way, no matter how I feel about it, yet your not going to trust me? Nice Yamato, real nice." He ripped the door open and we both froze.

Taichi, looking rather startled at suddenly being caught listening outside the door, glanced back and forth between us, then nervously reached up to scratch his shoulder. He stared rather blankly at TK, forcing him to lower his eyes before he stepped inside the door and turned towards me.

"What's..." He paused for a second, clearing his throat and avoiding my eyes. "What's the problem?"

I glared at the back of TK's head and I noticed his shoulder's stiffen as I spoke. "Oh, no biggie. My brother just can't handle the truth."

TK turned around and sneered. "I just told you I believed you. It's you who's denying what's directly..."

"Shut up! TK! You..."

"See, you can't even handle hearing it. Why do you think he..."

"TK!"

"...'s always..."

"SHUT UP!" I made a leap for him, trying to get a hold of the little bastard but Taichi jumped in front of me, wrapping an arm around my waist.

TK glared at me over Taichi's shoulder and I glared back as Taichi began murmuring words at me.

"Come on Yama, he's your little brother man. Just calm down and talk to him later." He tried pushing me back towards the lounge room but I stood my ground.

"I'm not going until he takes it back." I muttered. "He thinks you're just a fricking groupie fag following me around. I'm not having him say stuff like that about you." I could feel Taichi's arm tighten slightly and I glared at TK again for his earlier insult. How dare he say stuff like that about Tai. He's my best friend and TK should know it.

TK's eyes narrowed and he hitched his bag higher on his shoulder. "I didn't say that he was a groupie, Yamato, but now that I look at you it's obvious you don't need to watch out for anything."

"Good." I nodded. "Thank you Takeru."

He smiled mockingly. "How long HAVE you been shagging for and when are you going to make the announcement?"

He flitted out the door and I leapt at him again, ignoring Taichi's fingers scraping down my chest as I attempted to catch a hold of his wrist. "He's not a fucking fag!" I hissed, latching onto his shirt sleeve and pulling him back to face me.

"He is!"

"He's not!"

"He is!"

"He's not gay!"

TK's arm was suddenly wrenched out of my hand and I was pulled back in the door.

"See you later TK. Have fun at Ken's place tomorrow." Taichi shut the door, ignored my glare and pushed me down the hall, through the lounge room and into the kitchen then forced me to sit back down in my chair.

"So...you've had an interesting day." He put TK's plate and chopsticks in the sink, fished his own out of the drawer and sat down in TK's seat preparing to eat out of the serving bowl. "Mine wasn't so bad. We had great weather for soccer practice this arvo and it's going to last all week. Perfect conditions for the game on Saturday. Are you going to come and watch?"

I rolled my eyes and shoved my plate out of the way, leaning my head on the table. "Course I'm coming to watch. Do I ever miss a game? Just tell me your sister's not going to be there. TK'll slit my throat if she so much as talks to me."

"So you were fighting about Kari then."

I looked up at him and gave him a sheepish grin. "Yeah, don't get mad, but she...well..."

Taichi waved a hand at me dismissively. "Don't worry. I noticed too. I had a little...ahh...talk...with her about it this afternoon. She...I mean..." He stood up quickly, taking the bowl with him to the sink. "She won't ask again."

I caught his odd grimace out the corner of my eye as I tipped the last of my food into my mouth and hopped up to wash my plate. I wonder what he'd said to her. It didn't sound like it had been the most pleasant of conversations.

Taichi seemed somewhat preoccupied as we stood there at the sink rinsing the cooking utensils. His brow was creased the entire time and he kept shaking his head slightly each time he opened his mouth to say something. I hoped it wasn't something to do with what he'd overhead TK and I yelling about. I didn't exactly want to have a conversation about that, it made me feel way too uncomfortable.

Whatever it was though, he'd tell me tonight in bed. He always talked before we went to sleep.

Passing me the last dish and letting the water out of the sink, he squeezed out the wash cloth, hung it on the drying rack and turned to face me with a rather forced smile on his face.

"Is my stuff in your room? I'd better go and have a shower." I nodded and watched him duck out the kitchen door. He really was acting rather odd.

I was already in my pajamas and lying in bed by the time Taichi had finished in the bathroom. When he came back to the bedroom he stood hesitantly in the doorway, leaning on the door frame and looking anywhere but at me.

"What's wrong, Taichi?" I asked, pulling the covers back so he'd come and get in.

His expression flickered from embarrassed to decidedly lost as he shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Ahh, do you want me to...umm, sleep on the couch...cause..." He trailed off and glanced at me hesitantly.

What exactly had he heard standing out in the hallway? Did he think I believed what TK had said? Or was it just the fact that TK had said we were...shagging, that had him all embarrassed and upset. We both knew perfectly well it wasn't true and he had to know TK was just trying to rile me up. He'd managed it quite well of course, but you can't expect a person to be calm all the time.

"If you're worried about someone breaking in, or climbing up five stories to peer in the window and find out you sleep in the same bed as me when you stay over, then yeah, sure, go ahead. Sleep on the bloody lounge if you like. But it doesn't bother me in the slightest either way. I wouldn't care even if it were true." I gathered the covers back up crossly and turned over to face the wall. It made me uncomfortable saying that as I wasn't quite sure it was true. I hadn't really thought about it before not ever having found it to be an issue. But what if Taichi or I did like boys, each other specifically. How would I feel with him lying right there beside me?

We'd had our share of awkward early mornings because...well, we're both seventeen year old boys. But we'd always turned it into a bit of a joke and shared our fantasies instead. I'm not sure I could laugh quite so well if my fantasy suddenly became Taichi. It honestly made me feel a bit sick. It wouldn't seem right to do that kind of thing with Taichi.

It startled me when I felt Taichi crawling onto the bed, even more so when he slid beneath the covers and wrapped an arm around my waist. He'd done it before, it wasn't unusual, but it suddenly made me feel uncomfortable what with the strange thoughts wandering about my brain.

I ignored the feeling though, as I felt Taichi snuggle up to my back. It would contradict what I'd just said if I pushed him away now. I'd forget about it in a minute or so anyway and it was warmer if we slept this way. Besides, it was just Taichi. And there was no way he could be gay.


End file.
